RENOVATE

IdeaPaint

A huge whiteboard to sketch out ideas? Yes, please. Rust-Oleum carries Dry Erase Paint, but IdeaPaint seems to focus more on larger areas, offering kits to cover 50 square feet. As the pictures on their site show, you can go completely crazy and cover whole rooms, columns, etc.

MAKE Architecture Detached Home Office

I was perusing MAKE’s portfolio site and came across this exterior home office done for Actor Rainn Wilson. It’s 200 square feet and the exterior is clad in reclaimed lumber.

“Featured on the DIY Network’s “Man Caves”, MAKE work with their production team to produce a detached home office for renowned actor Rainn Wilson from The Office. Perched on the crest of a slope and overlooking the actor’s stable, the office space was conceived as a tree house with views through the generous glazed facade at level with the surrounding tree canopies.”

HofArc Airstream Renovation

Architect Matthew Hofmann recently completed a contemporary renovation of a vintage 1970’s Airstream trailer, which he now calls home with his girlfriend in Santa Barbara, CA. A lesson in living small, the updated Airstream shows thoughtful use of space and storage as well as catering to the modernist aesthetic. Read Mathew’s comments on the project below:

Wallpaper an Island!

Any of you who visit Tumblr know that there’s a whole haystack of images to sort through, especially when it comes to lovely interiors. I ran across this pic (via The Diversion Project) yesterday and thought the wallpaper on the kitchen island was a brilliant pop of color in an otherwise white dwelling. So, note to self: when feeling bored with one’s surroundings, pick out a colorful wallpaper and attach it somewhere unexpected like the base of kitchen island. Seeing as it’s a relatively small area, it won’t cost much and will be easier to change out than doing a whole wall or room.

Viola Park New Island Collection

Viola Park, who most of us know and love for their excellent kitchen cabinetry, has added a new collection of kitchen islands. I am most impressed with the integrated storage modules (shown above) for foodstuff as it cuts down on counter clutter without adding the visual bulk of drawers. If you’re in LA, you can see one of the new islands at Viola Park’s new showroom across from the Pacific Design Center.

The islands range from 5-12K, and can be purchased independently or along with a complete kitchen package. Islands can be mobile or stationary.

Vola HV1 Mixer by Arne Jacobsen

Kris did a post on the Vola Faucet a while back, but I thought it worth a mention to show the various colors. At $780 it’s an expensive choice, of course, but considering the fact that you’d be using it several times a day everyday, it’s probably well worth shelling out the extra cash. Plus, Arne Jacobsen designed it, so you’ve got an instant classic look.

Ms. Treat Wallpaper

This luscious botanical wallpaper would sure spice up a small (or large?) room. The teaberry (shown above) is my favorite, but for $2 a sample you might want to try out the Heron and Pineland colorways as well. Also, the Ms. Ward design (shown below) is also worth a look, as there’s delightfully large storybook insects involved.

Ikea Cabinet Wall

Whoa, check out this huge wall of Ikea cabinets in Dwell’s slideshow Just Redo It. The home owners, Andrew Dunbar and Zoee Astrakhan, spent about $12,000 on the ‘easy-to-assemble’ cabinets, which is a heck of a lot less than paying for a full wall of custom cabinetry.

Architectural Range Hood

Future kitchen-remodelers, take note. Don’t settle for off-the-shelf range hoods when you could perhaps spend a little extra time and money sourcing an abstract one from a fabricator or architect. Ihoas & Ihoas Architects via swissmiss.

Loft Access by Tamir Addadi Architecture

Let’s just take a moment to admire this small staircase connecting a cramped hallway to a loft attic space. Seeing the ‘before’ and then the ‘after’ pictures (both below), you get a sense of just how much of a difference the narrow staircase makes, especially in that oodles of additional light is gained from getting rid of the old attic hatch, and, of course, the ease of accessibility to a formerly underutilized space. Really, it’s an A+ job from Tamir Addadi Architecture.

Urbanski Attic

This neat little attic renovation is something to earmark. Harold Kyle and Debbie Urbanski, (who run Boxcar Press by the way) found Jonathan Lott, a partner in the firm PARA-Project, to renovate the 450 square feet located under their house’s pitched roof. The huge window added at the rear of the house and careful positioning of furniture and a few skylights make the relatively small area seem quite spacious. Check out Readymade to read more about the project.

Modern Metal House Numbers

You certainly won’t find anything like this to at your local big box hardware store. These house numbers from Seattle-based Object Creative are made from bent steel and are available in brushed stainless steel, rusted mild steel, and a multitude of powder-coated colors. I could seeing people getting really creative with the material showing through the numbers, or perhaps backlighting them. Each number measures 6.25″H x 3″W x .5″D and is priced at $19 each.

Kluif shelving unit by Ellen Seegers

I love the simplicity of this built-in shelving by Ellen Seegers over at Beelden Bouwers. She uses various woods, paint colors and includes an attached lamp. Perhaps the best part of the unit is that it provides a stark contrast to the rest of the room and yet fits in perfectly to the space.

Bookshelf Wallpaper

If you love the look of books but don’t have the space (or money) for stacks of bookshelves, maybe this wallpaper will do the trick. Similar in idea to the Genuine Fake Bookshelf Wallpaper we’ve posted before, but maybe just a tad bit better seeing as it has a more realistic look. Sold in 3 meter length rolls. 55cm wide.